But still Josephus and those with him, although they fell down dead
one upon another by the darts and stones which the engines threw upon them,
yet did not they desert the wall, but fell upon those who managed the ram,
under the protection of the hurdles, with fire, and iron weapons, and stones;
and these could do little or nothing, but fell themselves perpetually,
while they were seen by those whom they could not see, for the light of
their own flame shone about them, and made them a most visible mark to
the enemy, as they were in the day time, while the engines could not be
seen at a great distance, and so what was thrown at them was hard to be
avoided; for the force with which these engines threw stones and darts
made them hurt several at a time, and the violent noise of the stones that
were cast by the engines was so great, that they carried away the pinnacles
of the wall, and broke off the corners of the towers; for no body of men
could be so strong as not to be overthrown to the last rank by the largeness
of the stones. And any one may learn the force of the engines by what happened
this very night; for as one of those that stood round about Josephus was
near the wall, his head was carried away by such a stone, and his skull
was flung as far as three furlongs. In the day time also, a woman with
child had her belly so violently struck, as she was just come out of her
house, that the infant was carried to the distance of half a furlong, so
great was the force of that engine. The noise of the instruments themselves
was very terrible, the sound of the darts and stones that were thrown by
them was so also; of the same sort was that noise the dead bodies made,
when they were dashed against the wall; and indeed dreadful was the clamor
which these things raised in the women within the city, which was echoed
back at the same time by the cries of such as were slain; while the whole
space of ground whereon they fought ran with blood, and the wall might
have been ascended over by the bodies of the dead carcasses; the mountains
also contributed to increase the noise by their echoes; nor was there on
that night any thing of terror wanting that could either affect the hearing
or the sight: yet did a great part of those that fought so hard for Jotapata
fall manfully, as were a great part of them wounded. However, the morning
watch was come ere the wall yielded to the machines employed against it,
though it had been battered without intermission. However, those within
covered their bodies with their armor, and raised works over against that
part which was thrown down, before those machines were laid by which the
Romans were to ascend into the city.